Apparatus for heating orchards



T. LOWE.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING ORCHARDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 8, 1919.

1,375,221 Patented pr- 19, 1921.

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T. LOWE.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING ORCHARDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR s, 4919.

1,375,221 I Patented Apr. 19,1921..-

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Zy Z0 .V I 4 f THADDEUS LOWE, OF SAN MARINO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS EUR HEATING ORCHARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 4Apr; jig 1921' Application led March `8, 1919. Serial No.' 281,503.

T o aZZl/wltiom it may-concern.'

Be it known that I, THADDnUs LOWE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at San Marino, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Heating Orchards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tothe apparatusof i producing artificial' heat in groves, orchards prevent the temperature of the-atmosphere from falling to such an extent as to injure vor damage the fruit. In localitieswhere and construction in-which anycommercial nace orheat producer used in my system.

fuel may be used, consisting of a central heat producing apparatus wherein great quanjtities of heat are produced, the fuel being substantiallyv entirely consumed after which the heat is conducted 'through the orchard through a system of radiation pipes or con-' ductors, there being used one or more ine-v chanically operated exhausters' to facilitate the distribution of heat through the radiator pipes or conductors.

A further object is to arrange. such conductors in units that may be readily handled and which may be quickly placed vtogether to l form the system. i

@ther objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the following specification.v Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only, 1

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an orchard or grove showing a heating sys'- tem embodying a form of my invention.

F ig. 2'is a sectional elevation of the fur- Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the furnace shown in F ig. 2.

1.1 designates fa furnace having a heatnonn.

conducting lining' 12and a smoke stack 13 provided with a suitable valve or damper 14. 15 designates a fuel chamber, 16 grate bars y and 17 adoor through which fuel may be placed in theifurnace, 18 designating an opening in the Ifront wall of the furnace through which a liquid fuel burner.- (not and kindred places where it is essential to shown) may be inserted if it is desired to.y

use such fuel instead-of solid fuel.

20 designates. an elongated combustion chamber connecting through a damper or valve 21 with the main heat conductor 22, such conductor having an opening 23 in one side for connecting toa distributing conductor 24 as shown in Fig. 1. 25 designates a blower of any well known form connected -by a pipe 26 with the fuel chamber 15 under the grate 16, a suitable valve 27 being pro` vided in the pipe 26 by means of which air passing to the fuel chamber through the pipe 26 may be regulated. 28` designates an air by-pass pipe in open communication with the pipe 26, such pipe 28-entering the furnace in alinement with the combustion chamberV 20 as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2, such pipe 28 being provided with a suitable valve 29 by means of which the air passing through suchpipe may-be regulated.

rlhe furnace is also provided with a fuel door 30 in one side thereof opening into the fuel chamber,'a door 3 1 opening into the furnace beneath the grate, a door 32tothe combustion chamber, the stack 13 being provided .with a door 33 and the main conductor being provided with a door 34, all shown in Fig.. 3 of the drawings.

The furnace or heat producing unit in the system illustrated in Fig. 1 is preferably placed in one corner of the orchard 35, such orchard being diagrammatically illustrated by rows of trees 36. The main conductor 22 is connected to conductors 40.`and 41 which are arranged longitudinally with respect to the furnace and connected by means of transverse conductors 42 and 43 respec- 1 tively with a conductor`44. The conductor 44 has an open end 45 to which is attached an exhaust fan 46 of any common form, the

eXhauster 46 being provided with a pulley 47 which. is driven by any suitable power source (not shown). The pipe 24 connects with the pipe 44 and `is provided with a branch pipe 48 which extends substantially parallel to the pipe 44, being connected by a transverse pipe 49 with such pipe 44.

50, 50 designate valves by means of which the heat passing through the conductors or pipes may be regulated. All of the conductors are preferably made of lsheet metal of v good heat conducting material to more readily allow for' quick radiation of heat, and are also preferably cylindrical in form, having any well known common form of lslip door 34 and open the valve 2,1, closing valve below the surface 'of the same.

` The apparatus is operated in the follow# ing manner:

,. when it is desifed t put the heating apparatus into operation I first close the valve V21 and then open the valvei 14 ,so that the stack 13 is open. vI then supply kindling or other solid fuel to the fuel chamber through,-

the door or through the door 17. I then open the door 31 under" the grate bars for the admission of air to produce combustionI land ignite the fuel in the fuel chamber 15, after which the door 30 or door 17 which has been opened is closed.- When the fuel is thoroughly .ignited and the furnace partially warmed and it is'desired to use solid fuel I admit through 'the doo'r`17 a charge of fuel and then close such door. I then y admit a limited amount of air through the valve 27 fromthe "blower 25, which it is .understood has'been previously putin operationbeing driven by any suitable lpower source. I then close the door 31 and grad-- ually admitmore air through valve 27 and 'admission' of arr 1n proper p through valve 29 which induces combustion both inthe fuell chamber" 15 and the gases evolved therefrom in the combustion chamber 20. "-1

While' the furnace is heating and combustion is being properly regulated by the Iproportions through the valves 27 and 29 open door 34 and put into operation" the exhauster 46,

.it being understood that this may be coll.-

trolled `from the furnace by any suitable, well known form of electrical contrivance vfoin-that purpose. This is lfor the purposev of purging the radiator or conductor pipes of dead air or any gases that may have leaked through the valve 21 and for the-further purpose of facilitating the distribution f of heat4` through the 'radiator y ipes by the vacuum producing tendency. PI

then closel 14, and the resulting heat produced frmthe combustion :of Ifuel suppliedand gases t evolved therefrom is forced and sucked through the radiating or conductor pipes by thel operation of the blower 25 andI the f exhauster 46 operating simultaneously, .This loperation plus the natural expansion of the air admitted to the. furnace due to the heat of the same produced by combustion assures a more even transmission; of heat throughy out. the conductor pipes'. The heatncan also f be regulated throughout the system of radiator pipes by regul'ating'the position ofthe valves 50 as may `be required.

communication between said vstack and the listener f When it is desired toviise, li uid fuel such as crude,oil,.residuum or distil ate or similar substances, the operation would be substantially-the same except that instead of admittingl fuel through the doors as heretofore referred to I admit the liquid fuel under vpressure as is commonly done through` the `opening 18, the combustion'taking place in the furnace and passing. directly to the conductor pipes through the valve 21.

'Ihe elongated combustion chamber 20 is,

particularly to be noted as by this construction all smokeis' consumed and the -heated products passing to the conductors is only the non-combustible gases evolved. l

It is understood that while I have shown a single furnace o'r heat producing device, as

the diagram illustrated in Figi 1 is of a ranged in connection with a single. system of conductingvpipes 'if so desired, thereby covering an orchard for grove ofpconsiderable extent.

when the waaierA is such that the teni-'- perature may fall tonear the dangenpoint,

the furnace may be'partially heated so that Asmall orchard, several furnaces may be arif it is necessary to put the apparatus in v operation the same may be accomplished in r a very'short time, y

A Another advantage to be noted is that the conductor pipes are preferably made in such lengths that they may be very quickly takenapart and stored during the warm months, and with proper -care the system l' will last over a considerable period of time.

I claim as my invention L 1. An apparatus for heating ,orchards and the like comprising a furnace having an elongated combustion. chamber, means for delivering air under pressure to fsad furnace below the fuel, means for delivering.

air under pressure .to said elongated combustion chamber above .thev fuel, a system ofheat conducting pipes connected to said combustion chamber, -V and an exhauster' conilo nected to the outer open en l. of said c011- ducting pipes. 4 -2. An apparatus for heatingA orchards and the" like comprising a furnace having a horizontally disposed elongated combustion chamber, means for delivering air under pressure to said elongated combustion-chamber above the fuel, 'a3 stack connected to said:

combustion chamber, means for cutting 0E combustion chamber, a series of heat4 con.

-ducting pipes connected to said'combustion chamber, valve means for regulating passage of heat fromthe'combustion chamber to sald pipes, and blower means connected to said furnace to induce combustion therein and cause a flow of heat through said pipes. i

3.. en apparatus for heating `orchards and,A the llike comprlsi'nga furnacev having an4 130 i elongated combustion chamber, astack connected to said 'combustionycha-mber, means for cutting off'communica 'on between said 'I stack and the combustion chamber, ,means 5 for introducing air under `pressure to said furnace both aboveand below the fuel there- `in, means for regulating the amount ofair delivered to thex furnace, a. series of'heatconducting pipes connected. to said A comv 10 bustion chamber,` and valve means between said combustion chamber and said pipes.

4. An apparatus for heating orchards and the like comprising a furnace having a horizontally disposed elongated combustionh chamber, .means for delivering air under pressure to said furnace above and below the fuel' therein,- a system of heat conductingpipes connected to 'said combustion cham# l.

- ber, and an exhauster connected to the outer 

